This invention relates to dental prophylaxis angles and more especially to those to be thrown away after each patient to avoid cross infection.
The present application is specifically directed to improvements in the prophy angle shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,978. These improvements may however be applicable to other prophy angles. There are in the market a number of disposable prophy angles some of which are represented by the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,727,313; 3,740,853 and 5,423,679. It is recognized that making reasonably inexpensive but reliable prophy angles enables the dental professional, dentist or hygienist, to use a prophy angle for a complete prophy of one patient and then discard the prophy angle rather than sterilizing the angle. Sterilization is not only expensive in time and equipment but means handling the contaminated prophy angle.
To reduce cost prophy angles have been constructed of plastic. Plastic has not provided the rugged construction and reliability of steel, but with innovative construction techniques usable inexpensive angles have been provided.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved disposable prophy angles.
It is a further object to provide prophy angles that can be manufactured less expensively.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide prophy angles that give superior performance with greater reliability.
It is another object of the present invention to provide prophy angles that give smooth, even and consistent performance not only during a prophy treatment of a patient but from one prophy angle to the next so dental professionals will have the same "feel" from one prophy angle to the next prophy angle as they treat a series of patients.